BKWNTTST.RVW   990219

"Microsoft Windows NT Technical Support Training", Microsoft, 1997,
1-57231-373-0, U$99.99/C$134.99/UK#93.99
%A   Microsoft
%C   1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA   98052-6399
%D   1997
%G   1-57231-373-0
%I   Microsoft Press
%O   U$99.99/C$134.99/UK#93.99 fax: 206-936-7329
%P   773 p. + CD-ROM
%T   "Microsoft Windows NT Technical Support Training"

This material is preparation for the Microsoft Certified Professional
exams 70-067 (Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server
4.0) and 70-073 (Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT
Workstation 4.0).  It comes with book, supplementary materials on
CD-ROM, and four month eval copies of NT server and workstation.  It's
got everything you need to complete the course, short of two networked
computers capable of running NT.

Given that this is Microsoft's own product, the hype and promotion is
as overblown as you would expect.  However, what did surprise me, and
pleasantly so, was the level of detail in the training materials.  The
text does not give you an abundance of conceptual background on
operating systems or network communications, but that, of course, is
not the purpose of the training program.  What I did find was that
this book, with less discussion than almost any of the other that I
have reviewed, gave greater details of the actual processes to
accomplish the various tasks.

Topics covered include an overview of NT, installation, configuration
of the environment, system policies, file system management, partition
management, fault tolerance management, application support,
networking, configuring protocols, networking services, remote access
service, internetworking, interoperating with NetWare, network
clients, file synchronization, the boot process, and troubleshooting
tools.

The proof of the training is in the exam taking (and passing), of
course.  Still, I feel reasonably confident in saying that the two
best MCSE training guides I have reviewed are this one and Moncur's
"MCSE: The Core Exams in a Nutshell" (cf. BKMCSENS.RVW).  Both take
radically different approaches, of course, and they are very
complementary.  Moncur is for those with experience who have to
survive in the real world.  This one is for newcomers who need to
learn the exam material as quickly as possible.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999   BKWNTTST.RVW   990219